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USES OF CADD
(AUTOCAD - Part I)

OBJECTIVES

General Objectives

To understand AutoCAD Interface Command.

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Specific Objectives

At the end of the unit you will be able to :

define the functions of commands in the AutoCAD Interface ;

describe how to get a command for drawing.

INPUT

2.0 AUTOCAD INTERFACE

As with all other Windows based softwares, you use AutoCAD through its Graphical User Interface or
GUI. This user interface is shown in Figure 2.1.1. It is simply known as the AutoCAD Interface.

Menu Bar Object Properties

Toolbar
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Standard
Toolbar

Modify Toolbar

Draw Toolbar

Status
Bar
Figure 2.1.1 - The AutoCAD Interface

This interface is the screen that greets you when you first start AutoCAD. It comprises the Menu
Bar at the top, the Status Bar at the bottom, the Command Window, the Graphics Window and
Four Toolbars.

2.1 THE MENU BAR

Located at the top of the AutoCAD Interface, the Menu Bar provides navigational access to all
AutoCAD commands and features. Most of these commands are also featured as buttons on the
various Toolbars. Figure 2.1 shows the Menu Bar.

Figure 2.1 - The Menu Bar

Click the menu Press ALT and then enter

name to display a
list of options. Click
the chosen or press
the DOWN ARROW
to move down the
list and then press
enter.
You can choose menu options
in the following way:
the underlined letter in the
menu name. For example,
to open a new drawing,
press ALT and press F to
open the File Menu. Then
press ENTER to choose
the highlighted option New.
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2.2 THE STATUS BAR

Located at the bottom of the AutoCAD Interface is the Status Bar. It indicates the pointing devices
current co-ordinates and the various Drawing Aids. Figure 2.2 shows the AutoCAD Status Bar.

Figure 2.2 - The Status Bar

2.3 THE COMMAND WINDOWS

Located above the Status Bar is the AutoCAD Command Windows. This window displays the history of
the commands that were used during the drawing session. It also contains a Command Line that allows
you to type in the AutoCAD command directly during your drawing session. Figure 2.3 shows the
AutoCAD Command Window.

Figure 2.3 - The Command Window

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This window is user sizeable. It allows you to view more, or less than two (default) lines of command
history. The command window is by default located at the bottom of the AutoCAD Interface above the
Status bar (see Figure 2.1.1). It can be detached from its default location to become a floating window,
or be docked to the top of the Interface.

2.4 THE GRAPHICS WINDOW

The Graphics window is the area of the interface where your drawing is shown. There are two
scrollbars, one on the right side (vertical) and the other, at the bottom (horizontal) of this window.

The vertical scrollbar allows you to scroll the diagram vertically, while the horizontal scrollbar allows
you to pan the diagram horizontally. Figure 2-4 shows the graphic window with a sample drawing and
the two scroll bars mentioned above.
Vertical
Scrollbar

Horizontal
Scrollbars

Figure 2.4 - The Graphics Window

However, for the sake of providing a better contrast between a drawing and the windows background,
subsequent figures showing the Graphics Window from this unit onwards shall show the background in
white and drawing in black.

2.5 TOOLBARS

Figure 2.1.1 shows the four toolbars, which by default the AutoCAD Interface opens with. There are:

2.5.1 The Standard Toolbar

This Toolbar contains frequently

used AutoCAD tools such as Aerial
View, Pan and Zoom, as well as
Microsoft Windows standard tool for
file activities such as Open, Save,
Copy, etc.
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2.5.2 The Object Properties

Toolbar

You use this toolbar to view or

change an objects properties such
as colours or line type.

2.5.3 The Draw Toolbar

This toolbar contains various Draw 2.5.4 The Modify Toolbar

Commands which you would use
to produce a drawing on screen. This toolbar contains various
Modify Commands that allow you
to edit or modify your drawing on
screen.

To Display a Toolbar;
From the View menu, choose
Toolbars.
From the toolbars tab in the
Customize dialog box, select the
name of the toolbar you want to
show.
Choose close

2.6 DRAWING AIDS

One of the most overpowering features of AutoCAD over manual drafting instrument is its collection of
Drawing Aids. These are:

2.6.1 Unit and Precision of Measurement

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AutoCAD allows you to select the units of measurement in the precision level with which you
want to produce your drawings. These are selected using the Unit Control dialog box, which can
be launched from the Format menu on the Menu Bar.

2.6.2 Grid
The Grid is a drawing aid that serves a purpose, which is identical to that of a sheet of grid paper
(often called graph paper). Drawing with the Grid is similar to drawing on a sheet of grid paper. It
helps you to align objects and to visualize the distances between them.
By default, the Grid appears as equally spaced dots over an area that is specified by the limits of
the drawing. You may turn the Grid On or Off at any time during your drawing session.
The distance between the dots is called the Grid Spacing. You can set the horizontal and the
vertical grid spacing to identical or different values. The Grid Spacing is set using the Drawing
Aids dialog box, which can be launched from the Tool menu on the Menu bar. Figure 2.6 shows
the Grid.

Figure 2.6 Grid

2.6.3 Snap
Snap is a feature that restricts the movement of the cursor to discrete intervals that you have
defined. When Snap is switched On, the cursor seems to adhere onto invisible fixed points, as
you move it over the drawing area. Snap is useful when you want to draw certain objects using
precisely spaced drawing intervals. Like grid, Snap is also set in the Status Bar that is shown in
Figure 2-2. It too, can be switched: On, or Off at any time during the drawing session.

2.6.4 Orthogonal
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Orthogonal to AutoCAD is what the parallel rule and the set squares to the drafting board. It is an
invisible but indispensable aid that helps you to draw lines that are parallel, or at right angles, to
one another precisely. When Orthogonal is On, you are restricted to only vertical and horizontal
movements of the cursor; no diagonal movement can be made. To draw diagonally, you have to
switch off the Orthogonal drawing aid.

2.6.5 Object Snap

Object Snap is a set of drawing aids you would find very difficult to emulate manually. Even if you
could, it would mean performing a series of measuring and calculating tasks. The Object Snap
aids of AutoCAD allow you to accurately locate the following target points, with just a click of the
mouse:

The End Points of a line

The Intersection of two or more lines

The Mid-point of a line

The Perpendicular point to a line

The Centre of a circle, an arc or an ellipse

The Tangent of a circle

These aids drastically reduce the time you would need to complete a drawing drastically.
Furthermore, since the target point is computed and located by AutoCAD automatically, precision
is maintained throughout the drawing session.

ACTIVITY 2
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TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE YOU

CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT INPUT!

2.1 List the four toolbars of AutoCAD interface that are displayed by default.
a).
b).
c).
d).

2.2 State the different functions between Command Window and Command Line.

2.3 Why is grid important during a drawing session?

..

2.4 State the function for the following:

a. The Menu Bar
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b. The Status Bar

c. The Graphic Window

FEEDBACK TO ACTIVITY
2
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2.1 a) The Standard Toolbar

b) The Object Properties Toolbar
c) The Draw Toolbar
d) The Modify Toolbar

2.2 The function of the Command Window is to display a history of the commands that were
used and the command line allows you to type in the AutoCAD command directly
during your drawing session.

2.3 Drawing with the grid is similar to drawing on a sheet of grid paper, which can display
the drawing area, help to align objects and to visualize the distances between them.

2.4 a) To provide navigational access to all the AutoCAD commands and features.
b) It indicates the pointing devices current co-ordinates and the various Drawing
Aids.
c) The black area of the interface to show drawing.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
2
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You are approaching success. Try all the questions in this self-assessment section and check your
answers with those given in the Feedback on Self-Assessment 2 on the next page. If you face any
problem, discuss it with your lecturer. Good luck.

2.1 Describe two ways you can use to choose the Menu Options.

2.2 List 5 commands from the Object Snap Toolbars.

a) .
b) .
c) .
d) .
e) .

FEEDBACK TO
SELF-ASSESSMENT 2
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Have you tried the questions????? If YES, check your answers now.

2.1 Two ways to display the Menu Option are ;

Click the menu name to display a list of options. Click the option chosen it, or
press the DOWN ARROW to move down the list and then press enter.

Press ALT and then enter the underline letter in the menu name. For example,
to open a new drawing, press ALT and press F to open the File Menu. Then
press ENTER to choose the highlighted option New.

2.2 a) The End Points

b) The Intersection
c) The Mid-point
d) The Perpendicular
e) The Centre
f) The Tangent

(Choose any five answesr only)